Adam Petty's death remembered

When people ask me why I want to get into the world of reporting, I cite articles like the one published yesterday by Dustin Long in The Virginian-Pilot about remembering Adam Petty. (Read Long’s article here: http://hamptonroads.com/2010/05/nascar-remembering-adam-petty)

Yesterday, May 12th, was the 10-year anniversary of Adam Petty’s tragic, untimely death in an accident at New Hampshire. Adam, the son of Kyle Petty, grandson of “The King” Richard Petty, and great-grandson of the late Lee Petty, was a rising star in NASCAR. He was the sports first, and so far only, fourth-generation driver.

Back when Kyle was racing, he was my number two favorite driver. If Mark Martin couldn’t pull it off, hopefully Kyle Petty was right there to win. Unfortunately, late in his career, Kyle couldn’t quite race like he used to, but he found a home in the TV booth. He’s by far my favorite NASCAR TV personality.

Kyle Petty last raced in the Sprint Cup Series in 2008 (file photo)

But there’s more to Kyle Petty than being an awesome TV personality. He’s just an awesome person—dedicated to helping other people, and asking for nothing in return.

Kyle Petty and his wife, Pattie, have made the most of their son’s death. They’ve dedicated their lives away from racing to making sure kids with life-threatening illnesses have a place to play, fish at a lake and ride horses.

When people ask me what my favorite charity is, or where they should donate money, I always say, the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Then I get that puzzled look. Even though NASCAR is more mainstream than it was ten years ago, NASCAR’s charity work goes largely unnoticed. The Victory Junction Gang Camp gets a lot of help from the NASCAR Foundation. “It’s almost like in some way,” Kyle told Long, “when Adam’s accident happened, it woke up our whole community that there is a bigger world out there than what goes on at the race track.”

“He loved people and he loved kids,” said his grandfather, NASCAR legend Richard Petty. “He’s the one that pointed us toward Victory Junction. You remember Adam just a grinning. He was always smiling.”

Adam drove number 45, a number that Kyle and Pattie still see every day. The number 45 adorns a huge replica car at the camp, $45 checks still arrive in memory of Adam Petty, and the speed limit in the camp is 4.5 mph.

Long told the story of a young quadriplegic child who greeted the motorcycle riders on Kyle’s charity motorcycle ride on Sunday at the camp. The child has heard so much about Adam Petty, but he didn’t know that Adam had died ten years ago. He told Pattie Petty, “When you see Adam, tell him thank you.”


That story has reminded me to tell everyone I love about the everyday miracles Kyle and Pattie Petty are working at the Victory Junction Gang Camp. And stories like the one Dustin Long wrote just make me want to get into the reporting business even more.